Moving the chicks to the coop tomorrow

[Leonard4]

Our ladies are 7 weeks old and ready to move to the coop. The hardware cloth isn't up on the run yet, but will be by Sunday.

I read somewhere that we should keep the chicks closed up in the coop for "several weeks" before letting them have access to the run so they get to know the coop as their home. Is this something you all would recommend? Can I let them out for a bit during the day? I've been taking them on closely supervised field trips to a fenced-in garden area we have so they can run around for a couple weeks now. I just feel bad that they are going from the enclosed brooder to the enclosed coop. I feel like they need to run and flap their wings!

Thanks in advance!

 

[Fluffnut]

One week was long enough for mine. If they've been out before it's probably fine to let them out for a while during the day. Just wait a few days first.

 

[Noi]

I'm lacking experience but I definitely think giving them as much space to behave naturally as possible is the way to go.

Are they trained to come for treats? If so, then I would give them all the space and then as nightfall approaches, call them into the coop. They should figure it out pretty quickly!
If any choose to stay out, you can just go get them. But training them to come to you/a specific location is way easier than herding chickens;-)

 

[azygous]

No need to close chicks up inside a coop for days. It's more for adult chickens that are coming to a new home and would rather be wild outdoors and lay eggs under bushes.

Let the chicks spend as long as they like, as long as it's nice, playing outside. Then a few hours before it gets dark, enclose them in the coop so they can explore while its still light and get accustomed to the coop. You might try putting them on the perch to see if they're ready for that.

Some people let their chicks sleep on the floor in a pile, or in a nest box. My view is why let them get into a bad habit when you can just steer them right from the beginning? My four-week old chicks surprised me tonight by all jumping up onto the perch. Some chicks are more than ready while others need several days of teaching. It's up to you, but it is an option.

The most difficult thing you'll face, though, is teaching them to go into the coop at night. While shutting adult chickens up in a coop for a couple days will imprint the coop on them as "home", baby chicks do not have that concept yet. They need to be taught.

The problem is that, while the chicks may be familiar with the coop while inside of it, the coop just doesn't look the same to the chicks when they are outside of it. They will be confused at first, so you need to encourage them to go in through the pop hole. A light helps to attract the chicks inside and also will reassure them no danger is lurking they can't see.

Surprisingly, it just takes a couple nights of being shown, and most chicks will then understand where they need to sleep.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Assuming the coop is spacious enough (i.e. not a tiny prefab) so they have room to move around and room for food and water, I'd lock them in for maybe 2 or 3 days to start. It's still going to be more spacious than the brooder so no reason to feel guilty about having them inside.

It'll also give you some time to reinforce the run.

 

[Leonard4]

No need to close chicks up inside a coop for days. It's more for adult chickens that are coming to a new home and would rather be wild outdoors and lay eggs under bushes.

Let the chicks spend as long as they like, as long as it's nice, playing outside. Then a few hours before it gets dark, enclose them in the coop so they can explore while its still light and get accustomed to the coop. You might try putting them on the perch to see if they're ready for that.

Some people let their chicks sleep on the floor in a pile, or in a nest box. My view is why let them get into a bad habit when you can just steer them right from the beginning? My four-week old chicks surprised me tonight by all jumping up onto the perch. Some chicks are more than ready while others need several days of teaching. It's up to you, but it is an option.

The most difficult thing you'll face, though, is teaching them to go into the coop at night. While shutting adult chickens up in a coop for a couple days will imprint the coop on them as "home", baby chicks do not have that concept yet. They need to be taught.

The problem is that, while the chicks may be familiar with the coop while inside of it, the coop just doesn't look the same to the chicks when they are outside of it. They will be confused at first, so you need to encourage them to go in through the pop hole. A light helps to attract the chicks inside and also will reassure them no danger is lurking they can't see.

Surprisingly, it just takes a couple nights of being shown, and most chicks will then understand where they need to sleep.

Thank you! Do I need to keep a light inside the coop at night? Or will they be fine in the dark? I also read not to put their food and water inside the coop.

 

[azygous]

The light is only to get the chicks inside and settled. Then I turn the light out. I only did it for the first three nights. Now they go in at dusk on their own and know their way around inside.

At seven weeks, your chicks don't need food and water during the night. I put food and water inside for my chicks because they were only three weeks and five weeks old when I moved them into the coop. At three weeks, chicks need to eat pretty much every waking minute and I knew they'd be awake long before I was able to drag my sleepy ass out of bed.

They're four weeks and six weeks now, and they don't need to eat constantly as in the first three weeks, so they now have to wait until I get out there to feed them.

Hope things go smoothly. It's a real milestone for both you and your chicks.

 

[tpatricco]

Our ladies are 7 weeks old and ready to move to the coop. The hardware cloth isn't up on the run yet, but will be by Sunday.

I read somewhere that we should keep the chicks closed up in the coop for "several weeks" before letting them have access to the run so they get to know the coop as their home. Is this something you all would recommend? Can I let them out for a bit during the day? I've been taking them on closely supervised field trips to a fenced-in garden area we have so they can run around for a couple weeks now. I just feel bad that they are going from the enclosed brooder to the enclosed coop. I feel like they need to run and flap their wings!

Thanks in advance!

I think it's several days (like 2-3) IF they are going to free range - so they can find their way home again. If they're going to have an enclosed run, I don't think the same applies. (I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong).

 

[azygous]

I think it's several days (like 2-3) IF they are going to free range - so they can find their way home again. If they're going to have an enclosed run, I don't think the same applies. (I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong).

Again, the recommendation to coop up new chickens until they imprint on coop and run mostly applies to older chickens. Chicks have a "clean slate" and will not normally venture very far from a run at first, choosing to take tiny safaris a few feet away and then hurrying back into the run to safety.

I'm watching my own chicks go through this stage now. Two are six weeks old and were the first to muster the courage to step out of the run. The younger ones are four weeks old and are just now thrilling themselves with their tiny bravery. Chicks have a built-in instinct to know they are easy prey and they take things in small steps at first unless they are under the tutelage of a broody hen, then they follow her everywhere.

So, as a rule, there is no danger of your young chicks taking off from the run to far away regions of your property and becoming lost or uncatchable. The only danger would be a chick getting panicked into running off madly if a predator should swoop down out of the sky. That did occur to me twice. The chicks survived those incidents by finding some pretty ingenious places to conceal themselves. I had to hunt for hours to find the well hidden little survivors.

 

[chickens really]

They definitely will be fine...